My colleague, Jean Chothia, said she wanted a challenge for our third collaboration, and in Amadigi she certainly got it: it is one of Handel’s magic operas, in which extraordinary stage effects are required, such as the burning and collapse of a huge arch. For a fully equipped modern theatre, these present few problems; but the West Road Concert Hall in Cambridge is essentially what its name suggests: a concert hall. There is a stage (rather too shallow in relation to its width), there is an orchestra pit, there are excellent sight-lines for the audience, and the acoustics are outstandingly good. But there are no wings, no fly-tower, no proscenium arch, indeed no facilities for producing – within the existing capabilities of the hall – any of the effects demanded by Amadigi. In the face of such problems, our production team worked miracles: the arch did catch fire, and it did collapse (with a bang).
Andrew Jones (Music Director)
